The use of compounds which bind nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the treatment of a range of disorders involving reduced cholinergic function such as Alzheimer's disease, cognitive or attention disorders, anxiety, depression, smoking cessation, neuroprotection, schizophrenia, analgesia, Tourette's syndrome, and Parkinson's disease has been discussed in "Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: Molecular Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacology", Chapter 5 in Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry, Volume 30, pp. 41-50, Academic Press Inc., San Diego, Calif. (1995) and in "Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors," Drug News & Perspectives, Volume 7, pp. 205-223 (1994).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,875 discloses N-alkylcarbamic acid 1-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-3-yl esters which are centrally active muscarinic agents useful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other disorders.
N-(2-Alkoxyphenyl)carbamic acid 1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-3-yl esters are disclosed in Pharmazie, 48, 465-466 (1993) along with their local anaesthetic activity.
N-Phenylcarbamic acid 1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-3-yl esters substituted at the ortho position on the phenyl ring are described as local anaesthetics in Acta Pharm. Suecica, 7, 239-246 (1970).